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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-20-2023 Agenda SMCITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AGENDA FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL COMMISSION September 20, 2023 3:30 p.m. I MULTI -PURPOSE RODM ■ 201 NORTH "F STREET - SAN 6ERNARDINO, CA 92401 - WWW.SBCITY.ORG I Maria Lanas COMMISSIONER, WARD 1 Gary Blake (Vice Chairperson) COMMISSIONER, WARD 2 Sandra Kurkoske COMMISSIONER, WARD 3 Sharon Negrete COMMISSIONER, WARD 4 Alejandro E. Faz (Chairperson) COMMISSIONER, WARD 5 Maxine Henderson COMMISSIONER, WARD 6 Alberta (Bertie) R. Vanettes COMMISSIONER, WARD 7 Jason Kakpo-Moore COMMISSIONER, MAYOR'S APPOINTEE Angela Halfman COMMISSIONER, MAYOR'S APPOINTEE Director Kristine Watson STAFF LIAISON Welcome to a meeting of the Animal Control Commission of the City of San Bernardino. o Anyone who wishes to speak during public comment or on a particular item will be required to fill out a speaker slip. Speaker slips must be turned in to the Secretary. You may email your request to speak to Brown_Na(d)-sbcity.org prior to 2:30 p.m. Each request will cover one speaker. Those who wish to speak must submit their own request to be called on by the Chairperson. o There is a 3-minute-per-person time limit for all comments, excluding quasi-judicial hearings. o Written comment on any item may also be submitted to the Secretary to be included in the meeting record. It will not be read aloud by the Secretary. o Those who wish to speak on public or quasi-judicial hearing items will have three minutes for each item. o All who wish to speak, including Commissioners and staff, need to be recognized by the Chairperson or Vice -Chairperson before speaking. o Please contact the secretary, Natalie Brown (909)384-1304, ext. 1506 two working days prior to the meeting for any requests for reasonable accommodation to include interpreters. o All documents for public review are on file with the City Clerk's Office or may be accessed online by going to 0 Please turn off or mute your cell phone while the meeting is in session. Regular Meeting Agenda 09/20/23 CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS LISTED AND NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA A three -minute limitation shall apply to each member of the public who wishes to address the Animal Control Commission on any item on the agenda, excluding public hearings. There is no limit to the number of items that may be discussed within the three -minute time limit. To be called on by the Chairperson, please turn in individual speaker slips to the Secretary by 2:30 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you wish, you may email your speaking request to brown_na@sbcity.org prior to the beginning of the meeting. Emailed requests to speak will not be accepted from anyone but the person requesting to speak. CONSENT CALENDAR There will be no separate discussion of Consent Calendar items unless a Commissioner requests that the item be considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. 1. Approval of Draft Minutes Recommendation: Approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of August 09, 2023. End of Consent Calendar STAFF REPORT 2. Department Update and Introduction of new Administrative Staff Members 3. Brown Act Information for the Commission 4. Statistics 5. Pending Update to Council 6. Unlicensed Breeding 7. Dog Licensing 8. Spay/Neuter Campaign 9. ADJOURNMENT The next regular meeting of the Animal Control Commission will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. in the Multi -Purpose Room located at 201 North "E" Street, San Bernardino, California 92401. Animal Control Commission of the City of San Bernardino Page 2 September 20, 2023 City of San Bernardino Chairperson Alejandro Faz 4P� Vice Chairperson Gary Blake 290 North D Street Commissioners San Bernardino, CA 92401 Maria Lanas Sandra Kurkoske • `o' http://www.sbcity.org Sharon Negrete Fe [ Maxine Henderson Alberta (Bertie) R. Vanettes Angela Halfman Jason Kak o-Moore DRAFT MINUTES FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023 MULTIPURPOSE ROOM CALL TO ORDER The Regular Meeting of the Animal Control Commission of the City of San Bernardino was called to order by Chairperson Alejandro Faz at 4:27 p.m., Wednesday, August 9, 2023, in the Multipurpose Room, 201 North "E" Street, San Bernardino, CA. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Maria Lanas _ _ Commissioner, Ward 1 Absent _ Absent Gary Blake _ _CommissionersWard 2 Present 4:00 p.m. Sandra Kurkoske Commissioner, Ward 3 Absent Absent Sharon Negrete Commissioner, Ward 4 Present 4:00 R.M. Alejandro E. Faz Commissioner, Ward 5 Present 4:00 p.m. Maxine Henderson _ Commissioner, Ward 6 Present 4:00 M. Alberta R. Vanettes Commissioner, Ward 7 Absent Absent Jason Kakpo-Moore Commissioner, Mayor's Appointee Present 4:27 p.m. Angela Halfman Commissioner_, Mayor's Appointee Absent Absent Director Kristine Watson Staff Liaison Present 4:00 p.m. Animal Control Commission of the City of San Bernardino Page 1 August 9, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes August 9, 2023 PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS LISTED AND NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Commission Approval of Minutes Approved Motion: Approve the minutes of the Animal Control Commission Regular Meeting of July 12, 2023. RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Vice Commissioner Gary Blake, Ward 2 SECONDER: Commissioner Maxine Henderson, Ward 6 AYES: Negrete, Faz, Kakpo-Moore ABSENT: Lanas, Kurkoske, Vanettes, Halfman END OF CONSENT CALENDAR STAFF REPORT 2. Department Updates Director, Kristine Watson provided an oral report with Department and facility updates. 3. Statistics Director, Kristine Watson provided current statistics for the shelter. 4. Upcoming Events Director, Kristine Watson provided an update on events the Department will be attending in the city and surrounding communities. 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 5:39 p.m. 0 Kristine Watson Animal Control Commission of the City of San Bernardino Page 2 August 9, 2023 CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SERVICES INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Animal Control Commissioners FROM: Kris Watson, Animal Services Director SUBJECT: Update to Commission on Animal Services DATE: September 20, 2023 Staffing Jasmine Glover -McNamara joined the department as the Animal Services Manager on August 21, 2023. She previously worked as an Animal Services Chief for the County of Riverside Department of Animal Services. Jasmine recently completed her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from CBU. She is passionate about providing servant leadership, translating this philosophy into public service, and helping people and animals. Jasmine recognizes the need to advocate for abandoned and lost animals through community education, microchipping and spay and neuter efforts. She also recognizes that there is no easy answer to the abundant supply and meager demand issues for stray pets afflicting the City of San Bernardino. However, she hopes to implement innovative ideas to help relieve some of the burden on our shelter. Natalie Brown joined the department as the Executive Assistant to the Director on August 21, 2023. She previously worked with the City of Colton in their Public Works Department as an Administrative Assistant. Natalie received an Associates degree in Administration of Justice from RCC. She has also worked with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, and the Colton Police Department. Natalie is excited to be a part of this team and sees wonderful things happening in our future. Job offers are pending for the Registered Veterinary Technician and Animal Services Representative. The recruitment for the Lead Animal Control Officer closed last week. Staff is working with HR and the recruiting firm to determine next steps in the recruitment process for a Staff Veterinarian. The efforts to locate a candidate have been unsuccessful. Nationwide studies and reports show that there are currently 18 open positions for each Veterinarian nationwide. In California, 60% of shelters report that they have vacant veterinary positions they have not been able to fill due to lack of candidates. Due to the shortage of veterinarians nationwide, we may need to offer additional incentives to candidates in order to fill this position. Any proposals for salary increase and/or incentives for this position will need to be taken to the Mayor and City Council for approval prior to being added to the recruitment. The Mayor and City Council approved 3 additional positions for the Department during their meeting on September 12, 2023. Those positions are an additional Registered Veterinary Technician, a Veterinary Assistant and a Deputy Director for the Department. We will be working with Human Resources to post and recruit for these positions as soon as possible. Facility Update With help from volunteers and new team members, staff has been working to clean and organize all areas of the shelter. The lack of storage space has been a challenge to completing this task. We recently purchased a storage container and hope to be able to move and store all the items in our parking lot and back patio by the end of October before the start of the rainy season. Public Works has completed a walk-through of the entire facility. We are working with them to come up with a plan to complete minor renovations in some of the staff areas to accommodate additional desk and workspaces for the new positions at the shelter. This is crucial for operations as we expect to continue to be in this facility until completion of a new shelter. Program Update The housing crisis and end of the eviction moratorium continues to impact our animal shelter as well others nationwide. We will get into more details about our specific numbers when we go over the statistics, but there has been an increase of the number of animals coming into the shelter as a result of people losing their homes and/or having to move in with families. Unfortunately, the animal welfare industry is projecting additional stress on pet owners when the pause on student loan payments ends next month. We could use help from the commissioners by letting our community know the shelter can help them by providing pet food to residents struggling to feed their pets. We will be putting together some informational materials for the community over the next couple of weeks. The flyers will include details on organizations who can help pet owners with veterinary care and/or other needs. We will send all of you a digital copy of the flyers so that you can distribute them to residents. Staff and City Leadership are in communication with the cities of Fontana, Rialto and Colton regarding potential partnerships beginning next fiscal year. Because of the number of animals these cities take in annually, any proposals for partnerships will be presented to the Mayor and City Council for review and/or approval. As soon as we have any information on this initiative, we will let the Commissioners know. Page 2 of 2 Intake Report ADULT Stray/At Large Relinquished by Owner Others Total Live Intake Live Outcome Report ADULT Returned to Owner Transferred to another Agency Return to Field Subtotal: Live Outcomes Other Outcomes ADULT Died in Care Lost in Care S helter Euthanasia Subtotal: Other Outcomes ADULT Intake + Existing Animals Live Outcomes Other Outcomes Save Rate August 1, 2023-August 31, 2023 DOG CAT Total JUVENILE ADULT IJUVENILE 2281 50 391 168 Dog Cat TOTAL JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE 283 1031 37 140 46 91 4 3 11 7 11 6 52 149 Cat (TOTAL Dog JUVENILE ADULT (JUVENILE 126 30 12 38 40 2 2 0 128 60 5 11 il 0 0 2 0 294 92 21 49 Dog Cat JUVENILE JADULT JUVENILE 3 41 3 35 0 1 0 0 52 3 25 96 55 & ZS 131 Dog Cat JUVENILE ADULT JU EV MILE 568 169 91 317 1 294 92 21 49 55 8 28 131 90% 95% 69% 59% Combined Cats/Dc Fiscal Year to Date July 1, 2023-August 31, 2023 DOG CAT Total ADULT I JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE 2131 53 24 145 Dog Cat TOTAL Intake Report ADULT JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE Stray/At Large Relinquished by Owner Others Live Outcome Report ADULT Adoption Returned to Owner Transferred to another Agency Return to Field Subtotal: Live Outcomes Other Outcomes ADULT Died in Care Lost in Care Shelter Euthanasia Subtotal: Other Outcomes ADULT Intake + Existing Animals Live Outcomes Other Outcomes Save Rate 5431 190 71 311 641 12 4 6 26 7 44 11 $33 2a9 119 328 Dog Cat TOTAL JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE 205 70 18j 68 66 2 21 0 224 78 161 28 0 0 2 0 495 150 36 96 I Dog Cat TOTAL JUVENILE ADULT IJUVENILE 6 21 41 53 1 2 31 2 129 15 55' 185 136 �_ 62 240 Dog Cat JUVENILE ADULT _ JUVENILE 846 262 143 473 495 150 38 96 136 38 62 240 64% 85% 57% 49% Combined 1,115{ 3611 1,724 Calendar Year to Date January 1, 2023-August 31, 2023 DOG CAT Total ADULT JUVENILE IADULT JUVENILE 152 17 25 3 197 Dog Cat TOTAL Intake Report ADULT JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE Stray/At Large 1,909 514 264 1,058 3,745 Relinquished by Owner 185 491 12 33 279 Others 148 631 77: 46 334 Total Live Intake 2,242 626 3531 1,137 4,358 Live Outcome Report Dog Cat 'TOTAL ADULT JUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE Adoption 739 270 70 292 1,371 Returned to Owner 301 12 7 3 323 Transferred to another Agency 691 196� 77 133 1,097 Return to Field 0 0 6 2 6 Subtotal: Live Outcomes 1,731 478 160 430 2,799 Dog Cat TOTAL Other Outcomes ADULT IJUVENILE ADULT JUVENILE Died in Care 28 35 14 132 209 Lost in Care 12 3 6 3 24 Shelter Euthanasia { 413 48 157 432 1,050 Subtotal: Other Outcomes 453 $8 177 567 1,283 Dog Cat ADULT JUVENILE JADULT JUVENILE Intake + Existing Animals 2,394 643 378 1,140 4,555 Live Outcomes 1,731 478 160 430 2,799 Other Outcomes 453 86 177 567 1,283 Save Rate 81% 870I 53°I 50% 72% Combined Cats/Dogs 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws Background Per capita shelter intake and euthanasia have been in a steady decline nationwide for the past several decades. Research has indicated that one reason for this decline is the increasing incidence of spayed and neutered animals in the pet population (Zawistowski et al., 1998; Irwin, 2001; Clancy & Rowan, 2003, Miller et al, 2014). In fact, the veterinary community recently formally acknowledged the importance of safe, efficient, accessible sterilization programs as the "best antidote to the mass euthanasia of cats and dogs resulting from overpopulation" (Looney et al., 2008). However, this decline has not been uniform; levels of shelter intake and euthanasia vary across communities and are different for dogs and cats. As a result, many communities are currently searching for methods to reach those who are still contributing disproportionately to companion animal homelessness. Attempts to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia through the passage of legislation mandating the spaying and neutering of companion animals has recently garnered much attention and debate. To the knowledge of the ASPCA, the only humane method of population control that has demonstrated a correlation with long-term efficacy in significantly reducing the number of animals entering animal shelters is the voluntary sterilization of owned pets (Clancy & Rowan 2003; FIREPAW, 2004; Secovich, 2003).There is also evidence that sterilizing very specific, atrisk sub -populations of companion animals, such as feral cats and animals in shelters, contributes to reductions in population (Zawistowski et al., 1998; Clancy & Rowan 2003; Levy et al., 2003; Lord et al., 2006; Natoli et al., 2006). However, the ASPCA is not aware of any credible evidence demonstrating a statistically significant enhancement in the reduction of shelter intake or euthanasia as a result of the implementation of a mandatory spay/neuter law of general application to all owned animals within a community. Indeed, mandating spay and neuter for owned pets can have the unintended consequences of increasing shelter intake and impeding the return of strays to their owners when the costs associated with spay and neuter are prohibitive. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 1110 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Caution must therefore be applied when interpreting existing claims regarding the effects of local mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) laws. First, because per capita shelter intake and euthanasia are in decline due to a variety of reasons, it is impossible to determine the effect of an MSN law without comparing a community's trends in shelter intake and euthanasia for several years before and after the law was enacted to trends in adjacent, similar communities without MSN legislation. Furthermore, to determine with confidence the effects of any spay/neuter program on the animal population, which naturally fluctuates somewhat from year to year, population trends must be examined over a period sufficiently long to absorb those natural fluctuations. Claims based on one or two years of data can be misleading. In addition, it is imprudent to generalize about the effects of MSN laws. One reason is that the definition of "mandatory' varies greatly across communities. In some localities, a citation may be 2 issued for any animal over the age of four months seen unaltered, while in other communities, a citation results only when another animal control offense has been committed or if more than one intact female lives in the household. Another complication is that it can be extremely difficult for even a veterinary professional to visually determine if an animal, particularly a female, has been sterilized; it would be virtually impossible for an animal control officer to make those determinations in the field. For these reasons and due to variation across communities in law enforcement funding and personnel support, actual enforcement of MSN laws varies widely, making comparisons between MSN laws or predictions about their impact very difficult. Another reason for caution when interpreting the effects of MSN legislation is that shelter intake and euthanasia statistics are often presented as a total number of dogs and cats. In some communities, the number of dogs entering and being euthanized in shelters is dropping significantly while the number of cats is declining more slowly or even increasing. Therefore it is critical to examine population and shelter statistics for dogs and cats separately, so that reductions in dog intake and euthanasia do not mask increases in cat intake and euthanasia. This issue is particularly critical in the analysis of the effect of MSN laws, since feral and unowned stray cats continue to represent a substantial proportion of the shelter population and euthanasia at shelters. This major contributing factor is not addressed by MSN laws that, by nature, target owned animals. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspea-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 2/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Even when an MSN law seems to have a positive effect on one aspect of animal welfare, it may have a negative effect on another. For instance, in at least one community that enacted an MSN law, fewer pets were subsequently licensed, likely due to owners' reluctance to pay either the high fee for keeping an unaltered animal or the fee to have the pet altered (Office of Legislative Oversight, 1997). The ASPCA is also concerned that some communities may rely primarily or exclusively on MSN legislation to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia even though the animal shelter population is actually very heterogeneous with no single cause or source (National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, 2001, American Humane Association, 2013, Weiss et al 2014). Many social, cultural and economic factors as well as animal health and behavioral issues contribute to shelter intake; therefore, no single program or law can be relied on to solve the problem. Furthermore, one of the main barriers to spaying and neutering of pets is accessibility of services, which is not addressed simply by making spaying and neutering mandatory. Cost is one of the primary barriers to spay/neuter surgery in many communities (Patronek et al., 1997; Ralston Purina, 2000; Frank, 2001). In fact, low household income and poverty are statistically associated with having a sexually intact cat (Patronek et al, 1997; Chu et al., 2009), with relinquishment of pets to shelters (Patronek et al., 1996), and with shelter intake (Frank, 2003). Recent research indicates that intake into shelters is greatest from areas where human poverty levels are high (Miller, et al 2014; Patronek, 2010). As a result, a higher proportion of pets from impoverished communities are entering shelters, and data suggests that these pets may be at a significantly higher risk for euthanasia (Patronek, 2010). Each community is unique, however, in terms of the particular sources and causes of companion animal homelessness and the primary barriers that exist to having pets altered. No one -size -fits -all solution is therefore possible. In examining communities around the country that are having significant success in reducing companion animal homelessness, it appears that the common denominator is a multifaceted, targeted community program that: - is based on careful research to determine which segments of the animal population are actually significantly contributing to shelter intake and euthanasia https://www.aspea.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 3/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA and then targets efforts to those segments of the population; - focuses on the particular barriers to spay/neuter that are predominant and strives to overcome them; - is well -supported and well -funded; and- has an efficient voluntary spay/neuter infrastructure in place to service the populations it targets. ASPCA Position The ASPCA does not support laws that mandate spay/neuter of all owned animals within a community; however, based on currently available scientific information, the ASPCA strongly supports spay/neuter as an effective means to reduce shelter intake. In particular, the ASPCA supports voluntary, affordable, accessible spay/neuter programs for owned pets, Trap -NeuterReturn (TNR) programs for feral cats and the mandatory sterilization of shelter animals and dogs and cats prior to sale by pet storesl. For all of the reasons articulated here, the ASPCA does not support laws that mandate spay/neuter of owned animals that come to shelters as strays as a prerequisite of returning them to their owners. However, provisions that incentivize spay/ neuter in these situations can be an effective strategy that does not create unintended negative consequences, such as preventing low income owners from reclaiming pets due to inability to pay applicable fees. For example, localities and shelters may consider waiving redemption fees if owners opt to spay or neuter their pets (at no or low cost) to incentivize spay/neuter, ensure it is not cost prohibitive to pet owners, and reunite more pets with their families. In order to assure the efficacy of any spay/neuter program designed to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia, the ASPCA believes that each community must conduct credible research into the particular causes of relinquishment and abandonment and the sources of animals in its shelters, including the barriers to spay/neuter services that are faced by those populations contributing disproportionately to the problem. Each community must address these issues with a tailored, multifaceted approach as described below: 1) The community should have in place an adequately funded, readily accessible, safe, efficient, affordable spay/neuter program. 2) Community research should identify the particular segments of the population that are contributing disproportionately to shelter intake and euthanasia, and the community should produce programs that are targeted to those populations. https://www.aspea.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 4/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA 3) The community should strive to maximize the accessibility of spay/neuter services and provide compelling incentives to have the surgery performed. 4) The spay/neuter program should be developed with the guidance of veterinary professionals who are committed to delivering high quality spay/neuter services to all patients (Looney et al., 2008). 5) The program must adequately address the contribution that feral and stray animals make to overpopulation. 6) The program must be adequately supported in terms of financing, staffing and infrastructure. 7) The efficacy of all aspects of the program must be monitored and revisions made as necessary to achieve its goals. In summary, the ASPCA recognizes that sterilization is currently the best method to reduce companion animal overpopulation and therefore to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia. The most important step a humane community can take to decrease companion animal overpopulation is to make a safe, effective, voluntary spay/neuter program available and readily accessible to the community, and create programs and incentives targeted to the populations known to be contributing disproportionately to shelter intake and euthanasia. 1 Dogs and cats in the custody of pet stores, like those found at shelters, are often of unknown origin and therefore their genetic, behavioral and medical histories are uncertain. For these populations of animals- not yet privately owned as pets, and of unclear background - spay/neuter is an important tool to ensure that genetic and medical problems are not unwittingly passed on to offspring, which may then contribute to pet overpopulation, shelter intake and animal control costs. References American Humane Association 2013. A three phase retention study. Phase II: descriptive study of post -adoption retention in six shelters in three US cities http//www.americanhumane.org/petsmart-keeping=pep is-phase-ii.pdf .(http://www.americanhumane.orgLpetsmart-keeping-pets-phase-ii.pdf). Chu, K., Anderson, W.M., Reiser, M.Y. 2009. "Population characteristics and neuter status of cats living in households in the U.S." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 234,1023-1030. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 5/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Clancy, E. A., Rowan, A. N., 2003. "Companion animal demographics in the United States: A historical perspective." In: Salem, D. J. & Rowan, A. N. (Eds.), State of the Animals 11: 2003. Humane Society Press, Washington, DC, pp. 9-26. The Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare (FIREPAW). 2004. Cross -program statistical analysis of Maddie's Fund programs, Williamstown, MA. Frank, J., 2001. Executive summary of research results for: the economics, ethics, and ecology of companion animal overpopulation and a mathematical model for evaluation of the effectiveness of policy alternatives. Houston, TX: The Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare. Handy, G., 2002. Animal Control Management: A Guide for Local Governments. International City/County Management Association, Washington, D.C. Irwin, P. G., 2001. "Overview: The state of animals in 2001." In: Salem, D. J. & Rowan, A. N. (Ed.), The State of the Animals 2001. Humane Society Press, Washington, DC, pp. 1-19. Levy, J. K., Gale, D. W., Gale, L. A., 2003. "Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap- neuterreturn and adoption program on a free -roaming cat population." Journal of the American Veterinary Association 222, 42-46. Lord, L.K., Wittum, T.E., Ferketich, A.K., Funk, J.A., Rajala-Schultz, P., Kauffman, R.M., 2006. "Demographic trends for animal care and control agencies in Ohio from 1996 to 2004" Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 229, 48-54. Marsh, P., 2008. Analysis using data from New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (1998) and the California Department of Health Services (1995). Miller, G., Slater, M., Weiss, E.. Effects of a geographically targeted intervention and creative outreach to reduce shelter intake in Portland, Oregon. Animal Sciences (2014) . National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, 2001. "Exploring the surplus cat and dog problem: Highlights of five research publications regarding relinquishment of pets." New London, MN. Online at petpopulation.org. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 6/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Natoli, E., Maraglioano, L., Cariola, G., Faini, A., Bonanni, R., Cafazzo, S., Fantini, C., 2006. "Management of feral domestic cats in the urban environment of Rome (Italy)." Preventative Veterinary Medicine 77, 180-185. Office of Legislative Oversight, OLO Report 97-3: An evaluation of Bill 54-91, Revisions to the county's animal control law. June 24, 1997. Montgomery County, MD. Patronek, G. J., Lawrence, T. G., Glickman, T., Beck, A. M., McCabe, G. P., Ecker, C., 1996. "Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209, 582-588. Patronek, G. J., Lawrence, T. G., Glickman, T., Beck, A. M., McCabe, G. P., Ecker, C., 1996. "Risk factors for relinquishment of dogs to an animal shelter." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209, 572-581. Patronek, G. J., Beck, A. M., Glickman, T., 1997. "Dynamics of dog and cat populations in a community." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210, 637-642. Ralston Purina, 2000. The state of the American pet: A study among pet owners. Patronek, G.J. 2010. Mapping and measuring disparities in welfare for cats across neighborhoods in a large US city. American Journal of Veterinary Research 71(2), 161-168. Secovich, S. J., 2003. "Case study: companion animal over -population programs in New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Maine and a new program for Maine." Master's thesis, Public Policy and Management. University of Southern Maine. Weiss, E., Slater, S., Garrison, L., Drain, N., Dolan, E., Scarlett, J.M., Zawistowski, S. (2014). Large dog relinquishment at two municipal facilities in NY and DC: Indentifying targets for intervention. Animals. Zawistowski, S., Morris, J., Salman, M. D., Ruch-Gallie, R., 1998. "Population dynamics, overpopulation, and the welfare of companion animals: new insights on old and new data." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 1, 193-206. hUps://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 7/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA (https:Usecure.aspca.org/donateldonate? ms=wb rig ad -donate -dog= 20220520&initialms=wb rig ad -donate -dog= 20220520&pcode=WEBMEMBERblpcode=WEBGUARD)_ Other Ways to Help: Become a Monthly Member ,(https://secure.aspca.org/donate/join? ms=wb rig otherways&initialms=wb rig otherways&pcode= https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 8/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA Advocate for Animal; MI (https://www.aspca.org/get- involved/advocacy-center), Join the Advocacy Brigade .(https://secure.aspca.org/take- action/advocacy-brigade?ms=wb rig links - advocacy-brigade- 20230407&initialms=wb rig links-advocacy- brigade-20230407), Volunteer or Foster ,(https://www.aspca.org/get- involved/volunteer), 4 Share this page: https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 9/10 9/15/23, 1:04 PM Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws I ASPCA 0 • 111't,'�!) . 7/ 7:.Men—, C (,10);I'II'II `>Ill.,;llc:" • • • u=https%i3]P hMmW3A;UmvowAaboaiiarg about - us aspcaxs aspca- policy_ policy_ and- and- positionposition- statementkaigggktit Eoposition- statementtatement- mandatoMndatory_ spayne a neuter- • � it•• C bil �'/_ �i p♦e Ni i f/. t`,.�i :bill /.:.� 11� . % • it 9 htt;ps://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspea-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws 10/10 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters The Program for Pet Health Equity, University of Tennessee Introduction Inequitable access to veterinary care has been called the greatest threat to companion animal welfare of our generation. While some research has focused on the lack of access to care for owned pets, very little (if any) exists that focuses on the access to care challenge for animal shelters. This project aims to shed light on this aspect of the challenge. With a geographic focus on California, we set out to answer three key questions: 1. Do animals shelters in California indicate that they are experiencing a lack of access to veterinary care? 2. What types of care can or cannot be provided? 3. What are the effects of the shelters' lack of access to veterinary care? To probe these questions a survey was administered to the leaders of animal welfare organizations in California. The results are summarized here. Overview and Survey Respondents hftps://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 1/18 9/14/23,4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters CID 0 ttt 0 Carson CIty Great Basin reocro x Las Vega's 0 LV 0 sob 0 • In Esri, USGS Merced County Association of Gov, California State ParArs �' () Powered by Esri California Animal Welfare organizations There are approximately 230 animal welfare organizations in California. This map shows the location of all organizations. hftps://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 2/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters ir Esri, USGS f California State Parks, Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS,... 100 mi Powered by Esri Survey Respondents There were 111 survey respondents. These organizations are well distributed throughout the state with a mixture of government, non-profit, and non -profits with contracts for animal control services. Respondents by Annual Intake Distribution of shelters by annual intake �25.900 40.0001 w 2s.000 F —_ 8.001. MOW 04.b00 ..c 2,001 -8,000 _f Click image to enlarge Respondents by Type https:/Istorymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 3/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Respondents by organization type ■ Ckwertrnent Nonptoht with a pve mrs"A contract ■ Nonprofit witt N4 tOVetrnSient wnttxI is 011let Click to enlarge image Key Question #1: Are shelters experiencing a lack of access to veterinary care? To assess whether or not shelters are experiencing a lack of access to veterinary care, respondents were asked whether they had open FTE positions for veterinarians and technicians. The proportion of organizations with open positions is summarized below. Metrics regarding open FTE positions were normalized to intake volume in order to account for differences in shelter sizes. https:/Istorymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 4/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Filled and Unfilled FTE Veterinary Positions & RVT Positions To 75% 50% 25% 0% Orgs with NO unfilled positions i Orgs with unfilled positions 0 Organizations with no FTE positions Veterinary Positions RVT Positions Of organizations that have FTE positions, 60% of them have unfilled veterinary positions Of the 111 respondents, 73 have FTE veterinary positions and 82 have FTE RVT positions. Of these organizations who have FTE positions, 60.3% have unfilled veterinary positions and 53.7% have unfilled RVT positions https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 5/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters TtG'r.•>Ei idaho Find address or place Q Oregon ■ r Great IN SM- dF•a2Yit t. t ■ ■-�e5�� I � .. olas'vegas t % 0 0 till 01. Diego Salt Lake City f G'viarada' PfaP.eaa Arizona New Mexi P,ioenix 0 Tucson ° El Pa _ •°o unty Association of Gov, California State... eaa.... ivill— Filled and unfilled positions on a per-1,000 animal annual intake basis The number of filled Veterinary and RVT positions per 1,000 animal annual intake are metrics that help to normalize and evaluate the capacity for organizations to provide care. This map displays layers for filled and unfilled veterinary and RVT positions per 1,000 animal intake. It also includes a layer for the Veterinary Care Accessibility Score (VCAS). The WAS is a comparative index that quantifies the accessibility of veterinary care and includes several variables to determine accessibility (for more information click here) https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 6/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Filled and positions unfilled veterinary FTE positions for organizations who have FTE • Filled vet FTE for orgy snfith vet FTE positions Unfilled vet FTE for ergs with vet IFTE positions 21.15% of all veterinary FTE positions are unfilled 73 organizations have FTE positions for veterinarians. Summing all of the open and filled positions across all of these organization, 21.5% of these positions are unfilled. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 7/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Filled and unfilled RVT ATE positions for organizations who have RVT ATE positions • Filled RVT FTE For orgy with RVT FTE positions Unfilled RVT FTE for orgy with RVT FTE positions 17.6% of all RVT FTE positions are unfilled 81 organizations have FTE positions for RVT's. Summing all of the open and filled positions across all of these organization, 17.6% of these positions are unfilled. https://storymaps.aregis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 8/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Why are veterinary and RVT positions unfilled? 40 30 20 10 0 ■ Veterinarian . RVT Inability to recruit a qualified candidate Budgetary constraints Why are veterinary positions unfilled? Shelter respondents with open FTE positions indicated that they have the budget to fill the positions and the inability to recruit qualified candidates was -- by far -- the most common reason for positions remaining unfilled. How many animals are affected? A total of 344,460 animals-137,637 cats,147,912 dogs, and 58.911 other animals — were in shelters who had no allocated FTEs for veterinarians or who had unfilled veterinarian FTEs. Conclusion: Survey respondents indicate that they are experiencing inadequate access to veterinary care. Of the respondents who have FTE positions for veterinarians and/or RVT's, 50% have open positions. Approximately one fifth of all veterinary and https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 9/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters RVT positions are unfilled. The primary reason for positions remaining unfilled is not budget; rather, it is the case that organizations have the money but simply cannot recruit a qualified candidate. Key Question #2: What levels of care can for cannot) be provided? Respondents were asked about their ability to provide certain types of care. Responses were grouped into the following categories: Essential Care, Intermediate Care, Complete Care, and Community Care. Essential Care • Basic intake care (vaccinations, deworming, etc.) • Care of routine illness (e.g. URI, CIRDC) • Euthanasia Intermediate Care • Spay/neuter surgery • Care for nonroutine illnesses (e.g. parvovirus) • Intermediate diagnostics (bloodwork, x-rays) Complete Care • Advanced surgery (amputations, enucleations) • Dental procedures Community Care • Community cat programs • Intake prevention programs https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 10/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters r t� Esri, USGS Merced County Association of Gov, California State Parks, Esri... 100 mi Powered by Esri 25% of organizations cannot consistently provide essential care 28 organizations (25%) were unable to consistently provide some form of essential care, including: basic intake care, care for routine illnesses, and euthanasia. Major barriers by percentage of organizations who cannot provide all or some essential care types Lack of available appointments at veterinary clinics Inability to recruit Veterinariarss Cost of salary/tlenefi'ts to hire add itfonal veterinarians Cost of procedure(s) at a local veterinary clinic Inability to recruit RUTS Lost of salary/benefits to hire additional RVTs Lack of non -licensed staff for support Lack of facility or equipment Veterinarian available but unable to provide the specific care needed Cost of supplies Policy limitsdprevents "N 0 23 Why can't some shelters provide essential care? 75 The most common reasons for organizations being unable to provide some forms of essential care all surround an inability to access veterinarians. Over 50% of organizations who were unable to provide some sort of essential care noted that they aoa https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 11118 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters could not recruit vets or that they could not access appointments at local clinics. f C rr p } Carson City Great Hason rr ! NII r■ � m `. _ r + r etas Vegas I�� r Esri, USGS I Merced County Association of Gov, California State Parks, Esri... Powered by Esri 64% of organizations cannot consistently provide intermediate care 71 organizations (64%) were unable to consistently provide some form of intermediate care, including: spay/neuter surgery, care for common non -routine illnesses (e.g. parvovirus), and intermediate level diagnostics (bloodwork, x- rays). a https:Hstorymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 12/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Esri, USGS l Merced * � i Carson City Greaf 8as)n •a I�riscn • ���rr�td5i33 .I;fornio State Parks, ,Esri... 4 100 mi t _ i Powered by Esri 68% of organizations cannot consistently provide complete care 75 organizations (68%) were unable to consistently provide some form of intermediate care, including: non-spay/neuter surgery (amputations, enucleations) and dental care. Major Barriers by percentage of organizations who cannot provide all or some intermediate or complete care types Inabil Ity to recrUiL Veterinarians Lack of available appointments at local vet Cost of salarylbenefits to hire additional veterinarians Cost of procedu re(s) at a local vet clinic Inability to recruit RVTs Cost of salary benefits to hire additional R\M Lack of tmn-licensed support staff Lack of facility or equipment Veterinarian available but unable to provide the specific care needed Cost of supplies - Policy lhnitadprcwents our abitity - 0 25 50 75 100 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 13/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Why can't some shelters provide intermediate and complete care? The common reasons for organizations being unable to provide some forms of intermediate care were again related to a lack of available vet services as well as the cost to hire a veterinarian. ■ r ` f M • ■ ■ i Carson City Great Elam ! i i I I*Sco • r. Las Veps a is y f i Esri, USGS I Merced Countv Association of Gov, California State Parks, Esri. 0 100 mi I Powered by Esri 78% of organizations cannot consistently provide community care 87 organizations (78%) were unable to consistently provide some form of community care, including: community cat programs and intake prevention programs. https://storymaps.arogis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 14/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters Major barriers by percentage of organizations who cannot consistently provide community care programs inability to recruit Veterinarians Cost of salary/benefits to hire additional veterinarians Lack of available appointments at local veteri... Inability to recruit RVTs Cost of salary/benefits to hire additional RVT Lack: of non -licensed staff for support of any animal medic... lack of facility or equipment for surgery and/or treatment Veterinarian available but unable to provide the specifi... Policy limits/prevents our ability Cost of supplies f 0 25 so 75 100 Why can't some shelters provide community care? The inability for some organizations to provide some forms of community care were again related to a lack of availability of veterinarians and appointments at local vet clinics. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 15/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters 10% 27,781 18% 73,211 30% 37,5 2 Inconsistent Care Summary The table to the right summarizes the percentage of shelters who are unable to consistently provide each type of care. The number of animals impacted by this is also given and is based on the affected shelters' annual intake numbers. Conclusion A lack of access to veterinary care has very concrete effects. A quarter of shelters are unable to provide even the most essential levels of care while more than half cannot provide the intermediate levels of care, including spay/neuter services. Across all shelters, the inability to recruit veterinarians, a lack of appointments at local clinics, and the cost of hiring a veterinarian stand as the top three major barriers to providing care. When these analyses were repeated for shelters who did not have any open FTE the top three barriers hftps:Hstorymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 16/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters were a lack of available appointments at local vet clinics, the cost of hiring a vet, and the inability to recruit an RVT. Key Question #3: What are the effects of the lack of access to veterinary care for animal shelters? As shown above, the lack of access to veterinary care that shelters experience leads to many shelters being unable to provide even essential care. What are the effects of this inability to provide care? Respondents were asked to what degree they agreed or disagreed that a lack of access to veterinary care has particular downstream effects. The answers to these questions are summarized below. do organiratin s agrree d . . , . QOi+uM•r gwrillef;�temnwePlf'fai _ organ PafPpl's.t gapnrn a Inked U'6*k W P+C�'[Y ia5ie q{YE�RYIS q�rms Fo4n pmlifamalaf9tid Nafc'h IlmE the inhnflfe.e can qP ap Rx kVbn IMrcned 4lfc»efaexd traszNMhausu W MaMhY!tfeHlafJe aevfnrM teacnc fh'r_:fe Iranfmn+pa -. I d4. yj4 Sbh 71'r, 113U! Conclusion Survey respondents agree that a lack of access to veterinary care has numerous downstream effects. Notably, nearly 80% of respondents identify that increased length of stay results from inadequate access to vet care; this increases the costs to house animals, strongly contributes to behavioral degeneration, and increases the number of animals that staff https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 17/18 9/14/23, 4:17 PM Access to Veterinary Care in California Animal Shelters need to care for at any given time. Other major downstream effects include inability to provide intake prevention programs, limitations on adoption programs, and limitations on community cat programs. These programs are all pillars of a modern approach to community animal care. Therefore, a lack of access to care hinders organizations' abilities to meet current best practices in animal sheltering. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5ae46f84f8c3438d9c32126d54681936/print 18/18 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Crisis of veterinary care How can nonprofits survive the veterinary workforce shortage? By Julie raiconer 0 A recent study predicts that the veterinary shortage will result in 75 million pets losing access to veterinary care by 2030. And those are the pets of people who can afford private practice rates. Photo by JackFItStock. com It started with a cat rescuer, a veterinarian and a commitment to help community cats in Bend, Oregon. With help from about 10 other volunteers, the Bend Spay & Neuter Project launched in 2004. Surgeries were performed on weekends in the rescuer's garage. hftps:Hhumanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 1 /21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States "It was such a labor of love from the time it opened," says Megan Gram, who started volunteering at the clinic in 2008 and served as its executive director from 2012 to 2017. She recalls the long nights she, her boyfriend and other volunteers spent renovating the clinic interior, painting walls, installing floors and widening doorways. She also remembers the clients who drove from as far as three hours away to get veterinary care. "It became very important to people who couldn't afford a regular vet," Gram says. "A lot of our clients ended up being volunteers. If they couldn't pay for it, they'd volunteer." [A From modest beginnings, the Bend Spay & Neuter Clinic evolved into a vital resource for pet owners unable to afford private practice rates. Photo by Humane Society of Central Oregon https://humanepro.org/magazine/articies/crisis-veterinary-care 2/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States to the stage of discussing salaries, all three candidates accepted other jobs. By late summer, the clinic went from operating four days a week to one, with Bloodworth taking time from her shelter duties to perform spay/neuter surgeries for the public. "We tried to hobble along in that capacity," she says, but there were shelter animals who also needed surgeries and other medical treatments, and the shelter itself was understaffed. In early September, the humane society made the difficult decision to temporarily close the clinic, anticipating it would take two to three months to hire a new veterinary team. in early September, the humane society made the difficult decision to temporarily close the clinic, anticipating it would take two to three months to hire a new veterinary team. That was seven months ago. The clinic's veterinary assistants and support staff have moved on to other jobs. Kitten season is approaching, and Bloodworth and her shelter staff dread the impact of the clinic's closure on their intakes. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 3/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care i HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States see SEND SPAY+ I ,r NEUTER a For lack of a vet, the Bend Spay & Neuter Clinic has been closed since early September 2021. Photo by Humane Society of Central Oregon "The clinic is fully stocked and set up to do so much for our community," Bloodworth says. "We're grasping for people to come and work in this capacity." But the odds aren't in their favor. According to data from the American Veterinary Medical Association, in 2021 there were more than 18 openings for every veterinarian seeking a job and nearly six for every veterinary technician or assistant. It's one symptom of a veterinary workforce shortage that is affecting clinics across the country and which, according to a study by Banfield Pet Hospital, could leave 75 million pets without https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 4/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States How did we get here? Aimee St. Arnaud, founder of the Open Door Veterinary Collective, has spent most her animal welfare career helping to establish nonprofit clinics around the U.S. She saw the early warning signs of the vet shortage nearly 10 years ago, when shelters and spay/neuter clinics found it increasingly difficult to hire and retain veterinary staff. "Nonprofits tend to be the canary in the coalmine," St. Arnaud says. "Because they often can't compete with corporate practices in terms of benefits and compensation, they tend to be the first impacted." By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing many clinics to close temporarily, scramble for supplies and navigate the challenges of curbside service, the system was already strained. But the veterinary shortage isn't a pandemic problem but largely a numbers problem that has been years in the making, says Mark Cushing, founder and CEO of the Animal Policy Group. With baby boomer veterinarians retiring and an estimated 4,400 job openings for vets each year, vet schools aren't graduating enough students to fill them and meet the needs of a growing human —and pet —population. "From 1978 to 2014, a 36-year period, we opened one new vet school in the U.S.," Cushing says. "We have 185 medical schools in the U.S. and only 33 vet schools, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that we're in this position" Small clinics like Bend's are perhaps in the most precarious position: one resignation letter away from shutting down. But even large corporate practices are struggling to meet their communities' needs. The situation may grow worse. A Mars Veterinary Health study published earlier this year estimates the country will be short 15,000 veterinarians by 2030. And that doesn't account for the https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 5/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States needs. "It's hitting everywhere," says St. Arnaud. "We're seeing emergency clinics that aren't accepting patients; they're sending people two hours away. We're seeing spay/neuter clinics that are cutting community cat surgeries .... We're seeing universities that are shutting down their public programs completely. There's a shelter in Texas that can't fix pets before adoption because they've been looking for a vet for over two years so they're having to give out vouchers. We worked so hard to spay/neuter before adoption; now we're going backward" Desperately seeking ... In recent years, the animal welfare field has made remarkable progress in reducing homeless pet numbers and expanding access to care for owned pets. But most of the strategies that got us here —from high -volume spay/neuter clinics and trap -neuter -return projects to pre -adoption spay/neuter and community outreach programs —depend on the participation of skilled veterinary professionals. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 6/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States 4'' T W-"qv-..q .MftM.,. -40A .. MOW fj - https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-vetednary-cai N 7/21 9114/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care i HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States spays; others have cut community cat surgeries. Photo by Humane Society of Central Oregon With so much at stake, the search for solutions to the vet shortage has taken on a new level of urgency. "To enhance, or even maintain, access to veterinary services in the U.S.... will require bold and immediate actions," writes Dr. James Lloyd in the Mars study, whose recommendations include expanded educational capacity for both veterinarians and technicians, along with efforts to attract more people to the field through an "intentional, progressive emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion." Advocates from within and outside the vet industry are also pushing for new policies and regulations, such as modifying practice laws to allow veterinary professionals licensed in one state to work throughout the U.S. Other proposals involve changes in veterinary education, including the addition of mid -level professionals akin to nurse practitioners in human health care, and modifying curriculums so that vet students gain more hands-on experience (and are more practice -ready when they graduate). Fortunately, when it comes to producing more vets, we're headed in the right direction. During the past two years, three new vet schools opened, and Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee announced plans to double its vet school enrollment. This bodes well for the future, says Pam Runquist, executive director for veterinary outreach with the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, but it will take years before today's vet students become tomorrow's job -seeking veterinarians with the experience to oversee a shelter's medical program or perform high -quality seven -minute spay surgeries. Changes to laws, regulations and vet school curriculums will likewise take time. Confronted with the needs of the here and now, animal welfare leaders took part in a panel discussion hosted last year by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement on the topic of recruiting and retaining vet staff. It will take years before today's vet students become tomorrow's job -seeking veterinarians with the experience to https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 8/21 9114/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States "We can't even get people to answer our job ads," said the director of a Washington shelter. Others had more encouraging news and advice to share. "We recently hired three new vets," reported the CEO of a large New York shelter, "though we had two vets turn us down" The tips ran the gamut —from increasing salaries to implementing vet student internships to focusing on employee well-being. Several attendees reported that vets are attracted by the prospect of less client contact compared to private practice. Others said that structured training and mentorship programs are key. In essence, to hire and retain vets in today's competitive market, nonprofits need to take a holistic look at what they expect of vets and what they offer in return, says St. Arnaud, who co-chaired the discussion. And to do that, they need to understand the realities of the profession. Put your best offer forward Even in the best of times, veterinary medicine is a "challenging, emotionally draining world with life -or -death decisions and long physical hours on your feet," St. Arnaud says. Injuries are common. Clients may yell at you. Burnout is high, and suicide rates are more than double those of the general population. On top of this, the average vet school graduate carries $183,000 in student loan debt and is at an age when many people want to buy homes or start families. So salaries are important, along with health care, retirement plans and other elements of financial stability. But better pay alone won't guarantee job satisfaction. In a 2020 AVMA survey, nearly 40% of veterinarians said they were considering leaving the profession, citing the lack of work -life balance as a primary factor. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 9/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States F JI LL r:4c -A R hftps:Hhumanepro.org/magazine/articies/crisis-veterinary-care 10/21 9114/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Sadina Scott, owner of the Family Pet Hospital of Shawnee. "It's really important to structure the clinic so the team has work -life balance. Ultimately, they'll be more productive and have [fewer] mental health issues" St. Arnaud agrees. The two clinics she co -owns recently reduced their hours, closing an hour earlier on weekdays and no longer operating on Saturdays. "It was hard to do," she admits. "You have to weigh the needs of your clients and the needs of your staff, but if you don't have staff, you're not going to be able to help anyone" To protect staff from compassion fatigue and burnout, her clinics recently recruited licensed social workers as volunteers. Along with offering emotional support for staff, they help alleviate their workload by providing grief counseling for clients and guiding them through financial options for covering their pets' vet care. It's all part of creating a positive workplace culture where staff feel valued and respected, says Dr. Kate Gray of the Humane Society of Utah. "We try to do things for our staff outside of work, treat them like human beings. People get sick; it's OK to be sick. And we make sure they're recognized ... on a regular basis, and not just a pizza party." As more clinics make employee well-being a priority, St. Arnaud believes the vet shortage will have a lasting effect on how veterinary medicine is practiced. "We can't just continue to try to force a model that is no longer working," she says. "We need to think about it for the people who are taking care of the animals." That doesn't mean change will be easy, adds Runquist. Higher wages, better benefits, reasonable workloads —these are big challenges for nonprofits that are struggling to meet their communities' needs while keeping their services affordable. Still, the animal welfare field has a long history of tackling seemingly insurmountable challenges, and many organizations are already finding innovative ways to cope with the vet workforce crisis. Some are turning to new tools, such as telehealth and smartphone apps, to maximize the capacity of the vet staff they have without adding hours to their workdays. Or they're scrutinizing their clinic operations and discovering that small tweaks can add up to significant savings in money or time. Others, if they're fortunate enough to have certified veterinary technicians, are restructuring workloads to take better advantage of their skills. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 11/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Door Veterinary Collective In an era when vets and techs are increasingly hard to find, "we need to think outside the box in a targeted, sustainable way," Bloodworth says. Which is what Gram did last spring after the shelter where she serves as executive director, Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center in Roseburg, Oregon, lost its vet. "We were all panicking," she says, but she eventually learned of a veterinarian trained in high -volume spay/neuter, mother to a young child, who wanted to work part-time. Gram reached out and said, "We want to hire you. What will it take?" It took a flexible schedule, a dental and health care plan, and a salary that was more than the budget allowed for. Gram went to her board and said, "I need to be able to pay this person this amount of money" She clinched the deal. Three and a half hours northeast of Roseburg, the Bend spay/neuter clinic remains closed. But with help from a grant, Bloodworth and her team plan to launch a mobile spay/neuter clinic this fall. It won't be the same as having a brick -and -mortar clinic open four days a week, which everyone in the community knew about as the place to go, and they'll need to start slow, holding events on days when they're able to recruit volunteer vets, reschedule their shelter vets or hire vets available on a per diem basis. But without monthly rent and utility bills, the mobile model will make less frequent clinics a cost-effective solution and help meet the need in their community. "We're trying to stay positive about our mission and where we headed," Bloodworth says. "As discouraging as it is, you always have periods where you don't do as well as you hoped. Those of us who remain in this profession in the years of the `Great Resignation,' we're in it to win it." hdps:Hhumanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 12/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Learn more about the veterinary workforce shortage and practical solutions for shelters and rescues —including strategies for recruiting and retaining vet staff, making better use of credentialed technicians, expanding diversity, implementing telemedicine/telehealth, improving staff well-being, increasing fundraising and more —at Animal Care Expo, which will take place April 19-22 and is available this year in both in -person and virtual formats. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 13/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States rZ protection topics, which she writes about for HumanePro, All Animals magazine and humanesociety.org She is a longtime volunteer with rescue and animal advocacy organizations and spends much of her free time immersed in trap -neuter -return for community cats —which means her car is perpetually filled with traps, carriers, cases of canned food and cat hair. She Fives in Maryland with her partner and they share their home with a neurotic hound mix, three cats (one of whom they can pet) and an assortment of foster animals. Tags Diversity, equity and inclusion I Human resources I Laws + public policies I Shelter medicine Spay/neuter I Staff/volunteer management Pal f ADVERTISEMENT More from HumanePro https:Hhumanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 14/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Smart lending practices Protect your investment in TNR equipment � r r �y Op t - • f Ask the expert: Ringworm screening and diagnosis To win the spore wars, you need to be armed with the right information https://humanepro.org/magazine/articies/crisis-veterinary-care 15121 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Ask the expert: Socializing kittens Cat behavior expert promotes a gentler way for winning the trust of unsocialized kittens Success in Santa Clara county California shelter taps into the community to `get a lot done with very little' https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 16/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Comments ALSO ON HUMANEPRO dlog: States must lift restrictions on ... 3 months ago Terrier -mix puppies Spotty and Panda were thriving under the care of a young .. How to: Partrn cat cafes and find... 10 months ago When cat cafes exploded across Japan in the early 2000s, Karla Spencer ... Humans of Animal W t t( Advocacy: Robert ... afford 21 days ago 6 month: Robert Sotelo never Downlo,, intended to apply for a job you nee, with Pets for Life. In early ... boardin4 https:/Ihumanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 17121 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States LOG IN WITH OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS Name C? Share Best Newesi 10 a year ago The laws on becoming a veterinarian or even being accepted to veterinary school are certainly a factor. The other factors mentioned above certainly play a role as well. I can say that from persor experience. One thing the article didn't mention unless I missed it is regardless of how skilled the vet tech is, veterinary offices (again first and second hand experience) treat the nursing staff horribly and be even worse. The pay is so beyond terrible it's not even funny or livable. Many vet offices simply won't train an individual become a technician or even try. I've dealt with many veterinary offices that the doctors actually look down on individuals working animal industry as "less than" or "incapable" simply because they didn't go to medical school. Ob that makes for the typical toxic unfriendly undesirable work place. Don't dare get me started on being a pet trainer and trying to work within a vets office despite 30 years of work experience in the human medical relm. It's not just veterinary doctors or nursing staff getting dumped on. The nursing staff certainly get horribly. But so many more get treated far worse. And with the government and society just drag! their feet pretending the solutions will take decades or longer or the solutions are out of reach, tl not. It's the solutions are so easy and simple that those with the power refuse to fix the problem immediately in order to hold onto their status, power, and payouts! 1 0 Reply • Share > John fredy rincon chacon a year ago Medico veterinario 0 0 Reply a Share > Subscribe Privacy Do Not Sell My Data Recent hfps://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/crisis-veterinary-care 18/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Humans of Animal Advocacy: Robert Sotelo Program manager of Pets for Life/Los Angeles supports pets and people in his community How to: Cash in on your animals' toe beans Kansas Humane Society fundraising campaign spoofs OnlyFans and foot fetishism Social justice and animal welfare Bringing issues of equity and access to care into the animal welfare conversation Humans of Animal Advocacy: Michelle Kelly The founder and CEO of the Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation has transformed rabbit care at LA shelters ADVERTISEMENTS hftps://humanepro.org/magazine/articies/crisis-veterinary-care 19/21 9/14/23, 4:14 PM Crisis of veterinary care I HumanePro by The Humane Society of the United States Get HumanePro email updates HumanePro's bimonthly e-newsletter delivers the latest news, training, education opportunities and special offers to help you in your work with animals. 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